Shawn Carter of Brooklyn's Marcy housing projects never really intended to be the most successful rapper in history. After his father abandoned the family, Shawn "Jazzy" Carter got into the lucrative field of selling crack cocaine, and the rap thing was a side project.

But in the mid-90s people told him he was good at it, so he decided to start a record label with some friends — a label which eventually launched the careers of several now multi-millionaire rappers you might have heard of.

His career radiates a certain sense of effortlessness and assured victory that would have you forget his early struggles in the street ever happened, despite how often his lyrics might remind you otherwise. His latest album in 2013 went platinum, to the surprise of literally nobody.

His $500 million net worth isn't surprising either; but we admit to struggling a bit when trying to imagine this industry magnate dealing on the streets.

Shania Twain

Born and raised in rural Ontario by her mother and adoptive Native American father, Eilleen Twain had to cope with food shortages as a child and resort to hunting and chopping wood for supplies.

She sang in local bars when only 8 years old (strictly after last call) to help support the family, who still often relied on aid from Toronto homeless shelters. After high school however, Twain took her talents on the road to develop her singing-songwriting craft.

Despite gaining strong traction early on, she was forced to return home to support her younger siblings after her parents died in a car accident.

Once her brothers grew old enough to take care of themselves, she resumed her career under the Native American name "Shania", meaning "I'm on my way".

Shania was on her way to musical superstardom — the only female artist in history with three consecutive certified "diamond" status albums, and a net worth of $350 million. She is currently working on her first new record in 11 years.

Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr is a Beatle; therefore, Ringo Starr is immortal. While that logic is infallible, Richard Starkey's early life, more than anyone on this list, provides a strong counterpoint to the idea.

The fact that his father abandoned the family when he was three, leaving them poor and struggling, wasn't the worst of Ringo's early experiences, because he spent most of his childhood in hospitals battling life-threatening illnesses like appendicitis, peritonitis (which left him in a coma), and severe tuberculosis. His afflictions kept him committed to hospitals and sanatoriums for at least three years of his childhood, and his education never recovered.

A blessing in disguise perhaps, because while battling tuberculosis Starkey received a make-shift mallet from the hospital staff to bang his motor skills into practice, and his obsession with drumming began.

Working low-end jobs on the side as a young adult, he rose to prominence as Ringo Starr in a band called the Hurricanes before joining the biggest band of all time at John Lennon's request.

Today, he can count his lucky stars in one of the longest and most influential careers in drumming history, with studio albums as recent as 2010 and a net worth of $225 million.

Eminem

The stormy upbringing of Marshall Bruce Mathers III has been extensively chronicled during his expansive rap career, and in the popular semi-biographical movie, 8 Mile.

Though some aspects are dramatised (for the sake of art, of course) Eminem did struggle as a teen living in a lower-middle-class Detroit trailer park with his mother.

He faced huge rejection by both the rap industry and a large part of his local community as a white rapper in a largely black industry.

Frequently bullied and beaten, he dropped out of high school without a single grade under his belt, and found himself struggling between rap ambitions and the need to work several jobs to stay afloat.

But when Eminem placed second in the 1997 Rap Olympics, legendary hip hop producer Dr Dre was listening and he took the Real Slim Shady under his wing.

Today Eminem is dubbed the "King of Hip Hop" by some, as the best-selling musician of the 2000s, with over 115 million album sales during the course of his career and a net worth of $140 million.

Jewel

In her early years, Jewel Kilcher's family was featured on a Discovery Channel show called Alaska: The Last Frontier, about the hardships endured by families living in the Alaskan wilderness.

Jewel's childhood home had no indoor plumbing and an outhouse for a washroom.

Before she started her solo career, she sang with her father in local bars and taverns for income. But the turning point came at 15, when she won a vocal scholarship to an arts school.

She later moved to California to play steady gigs at coffeehouses, where Atlantic Records representatives eventually offered her a record deal.

Not two years later, her debut album Pieces of You brought her folk superstardom, transforming her from coffeehouse hopeful to an opening act for both Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

Pieces of You went on to sell 11 million copies and launch a diamond-studded career of steady hit folk albums, various acting roles, and humanitarian causes.

Her estimated net worth today is $30 million.

BB King

BB King has become the undisputed king of the Blues. His life is the definitive portrait of the social-artistic movement that grew out of black poverty in the early 20th century, and influenced arguably every popular style of music since.

Born on a cotton plantation in the segregated south of 1920s America, Riley King struggled to support himself with farming after his parents split and his mother died early. Luckily for the world, he found an early passion for singing at his church and purchased his first guitar at the age of 12 for $15.

He would eventually take his soulful, improvisational style to Tennessee to drive forth the Memphis blues scene, and would begin one of the longest-running and influential careers in musical history.

Today considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, BB King has given more than 15,000 performances over a career lasting more than 64 years, and holds an estimated net worth of $30 million.

The actual calculation of net worth is really simple. You just add up the value of all of the things that you own – the value of your home, the value of your cars, the value of your savings accounts and investment accounts and retirement accounts – and subtract from that the value of all of your debts. The resulting number is your net worth.

Interesting. I do wonder however if her net worth is calculated including "Income projections of Future Royalties". She probably had a surge in her income when iTunes became popular. Lots of her fans in the over 40 years of age crowd probably bought at least her Greatest Hits album on iTunes. However, it is really a wonder how artists make the money today that they used to off of CDs. Remember back in the 90s a CD cost $15-$20? $20 will get you more and better music online today. The money today is in live concerts. I would be very surprised if she had more than $75 million cash. 20 years from now, who will be buying her music? Elton John, Neil Diamond, how much do they see today when it comes to album sales based upon what they did in the 1970s? I hope Shania makes as much as she possibly can. $350 million should be enough to get her through retirement and have a stockpile of Vegan food for the Justin Bieber apocalypse.

Some of the most popular singers in the world are worth more than half a billion dollars! We’ve decided to compile a list of the 20 richest singers worldwide, along with their current net worth, and a short bio.

Before you continue reading the article, can you guess who will appear on the list?

The Top 20 Richest Singers in the World

20. Lady Gaga

Net Worth: $275 Million

Lady Gaga is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her unconventionality and provocative work, and has sold over 27 million albums during her career.

Today, Lady Gaga has racked up an impressive net worth of $275 million dollars, and has ranked 20th of the list of the richest singers worldwide.

19. Taylor Swift

Net Worth: $280 Million

Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter, and is known for writing music based on what’s happening in her personal life. She is the 2nd youngest person on this list, and the youngest female on the list.

18. Nana Mouskouri

Net Worth: $280 Million

Nana Mouskouri is a Greek singer, considered to be one of the best-selling music artists in the world. During the span of her music career she has released over 200 albums and singles in 10 different languages.

As of 2018, Nana Mouskouri’s net worth is estimated to be $280 million.

17. Julio Iglesias

Net Worth: $300 Million

Julio Iglesias is a Spanish singer and songwriter. It is estimated that during his career he has offered more than 5000 concerts, having performed for over 60 million people on five continents.

In 2018, Julio Iglesias’ net worth is $300 million dollars.

16. Justin Bieber

Net Worth: $305 Million

Justin Bieber gained fame in the world of music from a very young age, and to this day is still only 23 years old, soon to be 24. He is the youngest person on this list, by far!

Incredibly, at such a young age Justin Bieber’s net worth is $305 million, making him one of the richest singers alive. There is no singer younger than Bieber with a higher net worth than him.

15. Cher

Net Worth: $305 Million

Cher is an American singer and actress, who is sometimes referred to as the Goddess of Pop. She became popular in the 1960’s as part of a duo with her husband Sonny. Everyone has heard the song “I Got You Babe”, which was the couple’s original best selling hit.

Today, Cher’s net worth is $305 million, making her one of the richest singers of all time.

14. George Strait

Net Worth: $326 Million

George Strait is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. He is known as the “King of Country”, and is considered to be one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time.

In 2018, George Strait’s net worth is estimated to be $326 million, making him the 14th richest singer in the world.

13. Bruce Springsteen

Net Worth: $345 Million

Bruce Springsteen is an American singer-songwriter, and over the years has been nicknamed “The Boss”. Springsteen is well known for his distinctive voice, and his lengthy, rather energetic stage performances. Some of them known to last up to four hours.

As of this year, Bruce Springsteen’s net worth is roughly $345 million.

12. Shania Twain

Net Worth: $350 Million

Shania Twain is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the best-selling female artists in country music history. As of 2018, Shania Twain’s net worth is $350 million.

11. Beyonce

Net Worth: $350 Million

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (/biːˈjɒnseɪ/; born September 4, 1981)[2][3][4] is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. She was the lead singer in the group ‘Destiny’s Child’, before she transitioned to a solo career.

Beyonce has won 22 Grammy awards, which is outstanding, and she’s the most nominated in the history of the Grammy’s. As of 2018, Beyonce’s net worth is $350 million, making putting her on this list of the richest singers in 2018.

10. Tony Keith

Net Worth: $360 Million

Toby Keith is an American country singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Today, he sits on this list as the 10th richest singer in the world, with a net worth of $360 million.

9. Jennifer Lopez

Net Worth: $360 Million

Jennifer Lopez is an American singer, actress, dancer and fashion designer. Before the successful singing career of J.Lo, came her acting career. She starred in ‘Anaconda’ and ‘Out of Sight’, before releasing her debut studio album in 1999.

The career of J.Lo’s has been a very diverse one, and has managed to earn her a spot on this richest list. As of 2018, Jennifer Lopez’ net worth is $360 million.

8. Barbara Streisand

Net Worth: $370 Million

Barbra Streisand is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and filmmaker. In a career spanning more than 60 years, Streisand has achieved success in multiple areas. And it has not gone unnoticed.

Throughout her career, she’s received several Grammy awards, among other accolades, and now has a net worth of $370 million.

7. Celine Dion

Net Worth: $380 Million

Céline Dion is a Canadian singer and businesswoman, dubbed one of the best selling artists of all time; with over 200 million records sold worldwide, to date.

As of February 2018, Celine Dion’s net worth is estimated to be $380 million.

6. Johnny Mathis

Net Worth: $400 Million

Johnny Mathis is now 82 years old, and the picture above is from the early days of his career. Johnny is an American singer of popular music, and started his career with singles of standard music.

He went on to release several dozen albums which achieved gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts to date. Mathis has a net worth of $400 million dollars.

5. Victoria Beckham

Net Worth: $450 Million

Victoria Beckham is an English businesswoman, fashion designer, model, and singer, who rose to fame with the pop group ‘Spice Girls’. She was nicknamed ‘Posh Spice’, and after the group split up she went on to a number of other endeavours.

Victoria is married to the former English footballer David Beckham, who played for Manchester United, and the English International team. As of 2018, Victoria Beckham’s net worth is $450 million.

4. Gloria Estefan

Net Worth: $500 Million

Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Before her solo career took off, she began as the lead singer of the Miami Latin Boys. Estefan has won three Grammy awards, and also has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2018, Gloria Estefan’s net worth is $500 million, making her one of the richest singers worldwide.

3. Dolly Parton

Net Worth: $500 Million

Dolly Parton, now 72 years old, is no doubt the most popular country singer of all time. Her career as a singer began in 1964, and since then she’s racked up the accolades, and income, making her one of the richest singers in 2018.

As of this year, Dolly Parton’s net worth is roughly $500 million.

2. Mariah Carey

Net Worth: $535 Million

Mariah Carey is a singer/songwriter who began her career after signing with Columbia Records. Her debut album included 4 single which made the Billboard Hot 100, and needless to say, that’s very rare.

Today, Carey has sold over 200 million albums worldwide, and is the 2nd richest singer in the world, with Mariah Carey’s net worth estimated at $520 million in 2018.

1. Madonna

Net Worth: $580 Million

Madonna is considered to be the “Queen of Pop”, and is the 4th best selling music artist worldwide! She had a rough start when she first moved to New York to pursue her singing career, which you can listen to in some of the interviews on YouTube.

However, since then, she’s become the richest singer in the world, and at 59 years old, Madonna’s net worth is estimated to be $580 million.